Re: Re: Converting ReXX macros to Java macros (again) -- CODE400-L

Craig, sorry for the delay in answering. Let me try to build on what Edmund
provided.

First, to get help for the framework, the easiest way is to edit a java
file, even a new
one via CODEEDIT DUMMY.java, and then select Help, Java help, SmartGuide
Framework. There is a tutorial there to get you going. The source for the
smartguides IBM ships is in samples.jar, in the wdsc\java directory. The
easiest
way to expand a jar file, is to configure Windows so WinZip is listed as
one of its
editors, and just use WinZip on it. Do this from the options pulldown in
the Windows
explorer, if I recall correctly. Else, the readme file that Edmund mentions
describes
how to use the jar command from the jdk for this.

Now, all this being said, and while I commend you for looking to learn the
new stuff,
the smartguide framework may or may not be the best strategic thing to
learn if your
goal is to write macros for the Java lpex inside WDSC. First, a little
history on
editor macros.  The classic lpex editor (which the CODE Editor is based on)
has
always had support for writing macros in REXX. These are really rexx files
that use
embedded editor commands (the editor has a couple hundred commands). With
the exception of the one LINEREAD command the editor supplies, there is no
UI
capability with these macros. CODE adds to the base editor commands support
for accessing remote iSeries commands and lists via the CODESRV command.
It is a windows executable launchable using a command in rexx for running
external
executables, or using the start command supplied by lpex.

Late in CODE's life, we added support to write macros using Java. This
entailed
making all the editor's commands available as Java methods in a single
class
the editor supplies. These, under the covers, call the existing editor
commands
written in C. This Java ability works pretty good, and offers the ability
to exploit
all of Java's GUI support for writing user interfaces. However, it is just
a Java graft
onto the underlying C code. The SmartGuide framework is merely an extension
of the Java support to help you "get going" quickly when you want a UI in
the form
of a wizard.

In WDSC, we have re-written the lpex editor completely from scratch, in
Java. That
means that all those editor commands are available as pure Java methods in
a
series of Java classes. There is documentation in WDSC about these methods.
However, compared to the classic Java, there are some major differences:
 #1. These methods are not identical to what they were in classic Java, due
to
        the fact they now adhere to Java naming standards, and because we
took
        the opportunity to re-architect some stuff based on what we have
learned
        over the years in the classic editor.
 #2. For writing GUI, you do not use the Java-supplied Swing classes as was
the
         case in the classic editor. Instead, WDSC is based on Eclipse,
which comes
         with its own very robust (and much faster) set of UI classes.
These include
         basic widgets as well as frameworks for writing wizards and
dialogs and so
         on.

So, if you ultimate goal is to write macros in the classic editor that can
be used in
the new WDSC lpex editor, I am afraid that is not possible. Due to the
significant
changes, you will have to write these new macros from scratch. Once you do
though,
you will start down the path of learning to write plugins to contribute
cool extensions
to all of WDSC, not just the editor. You see, in this new world, we have
opened up
the entire thing! Not just the editor. So you can add an "action" to the
popup menu
of a database file, for example, the presents a wizard for generating RPG
source
to access the database, as a tiny example. There is no limit to what you
can do
now!

However, it can also be argued that learning to write Java macros in the
classic
CODE editor will help you learn some transferrable skills... eg, the list
of methods
supplied by the editor, while slightly different in the new editor, are
still similar
enough that you'll know what to look for. The smartguide framework,
however,
being based on Swing, will not offer too much opportunity for skills
transfer.
The new Eclipse wizard framework is extremely different, and much much
better. However, the SmartGuide framework is still very much useful for the
classic editor, so if that is where you plan to stay for awhile, then by
all means
learning to write smartguides is worth the investment.

Hope all this helps!

Phil Coulthard, iSeries Software Architect,  IBM Canada Ltd.
coulthar@ca.ibm.com. 905-413-4076, t/l 969-4076

----- Forwarded by Phil Coulthard/Toronto/IBM on 09/13/2002 08:19 PM -----

                      Edmund
                      Reinhardt/Toronto        To:       code400-l@midrange.com
                      /IBM@IBMCA               cc:
                      Sent by:                 Subject:  Re: Converting ReXX 
macros to Java macros (again)
                      code400-l-admin@m
                      idrange.com


                      09/13/2002 03:12
                      PM
                      Please respond to
                      code400-l





This is a multipart message in MIME format.
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Hi Craig,

Phil, the original author of Smart Guides, who would helped you
immediately is out of the country.
So let me just fill in for Phil.  (pun intended) and point you to the
<wdsc install dir>/java directory where all these goodies reside.
You will find, not only sample.jar but also a readme.htm that will get you
started.  Phil has written an extensible smart guide framework with the
hope that others would pick it up and make a third party industry out of
all these neat GUI extensions to CODE.

I am sure he could tell you a lot more when he is back about how this will
integrate with JLPEX.  I am afraid I am out of my depth there.

hth

Edmund Reinhardt,  AS/400 AD Tools,   reinhard@ca.ibm.com
Dept 607,   IBM Canada Lab  TL 969-4392  Phone 905-413-4392


Oops!  No subject.  Let's try that again.

I posted to the WDSC list about getting help writing Java macros or
converting ReXX to Java for the CODE/400 Editor and mostly for the new
LPEX
Editor.  I haven't gotten any responses in a week so I will try this list.
If you are from IBM, please let me know if you don't know.  I should be
able to learn on my own if someone can point me in the right direction.
Please help.  Here is my exact post below:

I am interested in converting most of my ReXX macros in CODE/400 to Java
SmartGuides, Java macros, or whatever you are supposed to call them.  I
have found a help tutorial in WDSC\JAVA (on WDSC 4.0 SP2) on writing
SmartGuides but most of the links appear to be out of date.  They don't go
anywhere.  I see a sample.jar the help mentioned there but windows can't
find it to run it.  I hope that in converting to SmartGuides, I can use my
macros in the LPEX editor along with CODE.  I am most interested in seeing
the source for the RPG Procedure SmartGuide and others.  I can usually
learn best by seeing working examples, like when I learned to write ReXX
macros.  Does my plan make sense?  Anyone know where I might find help?
Some of the ReXX macros written by me and others are on the midrange.com
CODE FAQ.

Thanks,
Craig Strong